A Day In the Cards
by John Fiala
Summary: A new kind of Sakura & Tomoyo fic. Sakura thinks her relationship with Tomoyo is fine, until this boy shows up from Hong Kong...
1. Together

[I don't own these characters. CLAMP does.]  
  
A Day In the Cards, By John Fiala  
[Version 1.1, with slight changes for readability and to make  
the plot a little more clear.]  
  
  
Once.  
  
I can be selfish once, surely.   
  
I deserve it.  
  
And it's not like they'll *know*. I'm not going to hurt anyone.  
  
Not really.  
  
--  
  
Sakura woke up on a beautiful Saturday morning. Birds were   
singing outside, the sun was shining, and Kero-chan was playing Final   
Fantasy Something with the headphones on. Blinking blearily, she looked   
around to see what had dragged her out of slumber and saw that Tomoyo   
was missing.   
  
After a few minutes her friend returned. "Good morning, Sakura-  
chan!" Tomoyo said, and gave her a kiss before starting to get dressed.   
"I'm sorry if I woke you."  
  
Sakura yawned, and decided to get up. It's not like she could get   
upset at Tomoyo when she was smiling. "Oh, it's okay. I've got some   
chores I need to get started on, anyway. Want to get together for   
lunch?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded, and gave Kero-chan a pat on the head, which he   
ducked, complaining that she'd mess up his score. "Sure. By then I   
should be done with Mother's design group." One more kiss, and she   
slipped out the door. They knew Touya or Yukito wouldn't say anything   
about Tomoyo staying so much, but they were still unsure about Sakura's   
father. So it was best to be discreet.  
  
--  
  
The morning went by slowly. In theory, a dishwasher meant that   
you didn't *have* to wash the dishes, but the reality of it was that the   
dishwasher was getting old, and a quick scrub at the dishes to remove   
anything stuck on was necessary. Putting the last dish in the rack,   
Sakura filled it with detergent and started it up, stretching. Bending   
over the sink made her back hurt, but she thought she could get Tomoyo   
to give her a backrub after lunch.  
  
After that, it was time to move the laundry along: the whites into   
the dryer, and then a load of tshirts and shorts for the washer.  
  
Next, while those were busy going along, it was time to vaccuum.   
  
--  
  
Vacuuming over, and the wash again moved along, Sakura looked at   
the clock and realized there was just enough time to run to the corner   
market and get some eggs, rice, and other staples they'd been running   
low on. Letting Kero-chan know where she was going, she took off for   
the market.  
  
Along the way she felt creepy. The back of her neck prickled as   
if someone was watching her, but when she looked behind her she didn't   
see anyone. Still, she picked up her step and felt relieved to slip   
into the store.  
  
The way back she felt the same way, and she ended up running the   
rest of the way. Reaching the front door, she looked around and saw a   
shadowy figure disappear around the corner. Not an adult, though - a   
teenager like herself. A secret admirer? That would be cool, although  
she was already taken.  
  
--  
  
Finally the clothes were done, and she met up with Tomoyo for   
lunch. The presence had disappeared, and Tomoyo had had a picnic basket   
packed for them. They took off for the local park, and they found their   
favorite hidden spot where they could eat, snuggle, feed each other and   
kiss without fear of being discovered. Sakura had shaped it with the   
Wood card, and it was very private.  
  
Sakura couldn't remember exactly when she and Tomoyo had become a   
couple. They'd always been close as friends, but once she started   
tracking down the Clow cards with Tomoyo's help they grew even closer.   
Once Touya and Yukito had become a couple and she had had to give up on   
the bishonen youth, she'd sort of fallen into Tomoyo's love and stayed   
there. Boys at school tried to ask her on dates, but she turned them   
down beyond a token few to prevent any nasty rumors from starting.  
  
Sakura was happily noshing on some pocky Tomoyo had brought for   
dessert, when she felt the girl stiffen next to her. Turning, she saw a   
Chinese boy approaching them. She was going to greet him when she   
realized that he was the person following her before. "Hey! Why are   
you following me?"  
  
The boy blinked. "Sakura. There's something missing.   
Something's wrong."  
  
Tomoyo stood up. "Shut up. She's not yours anymore. Why can't   
you just leave us alone?"  
  
Sakura looked at her friend with surprise. Tomoyo was normally   
the most even tempered of people, but for some reason this boy had made   
her furious! That was another strike against him. "Yeah! Go away!"  
  
"But Sakura," the boy hesitated, "Don't you remember? Can't you?"  
  
She concentrated. He did seem familiar, but it was probably a   
passing resemblance to some idol singer.   
  
Suddenly, she saw a memory of the boy wielding a sword, fighting   
beside her for the lightning card. And then another memory of them   
together, fighting first as rivals, and then as friends. And then, a   
kiss. Memories that seemed real, but which she had never had before.   
And with the memories, a name.  
  
"Sayoran?"   
  
He turned and gave her a brief smile that warmed her all the way   
through.  
  
And then a shot rang out, and the smile dimmed, and he slammed   
into the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.  
  
Sakura screamed as Tomoyo lowered the gun in her hand and ran over to the boy.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon, where were you today? Where are you staying? Ah!"   
Tomoyo held up a pen, and read off the side. "The Tokyo Hilton South."   
She smiled. "Good enough."  
  
Sakura stood shakily. "Tomoyo? What are you DOING? You SHOT   
him!" Dimly, she realized that she'd gone into shock.  
  
Tomoyo smiled, her grin a little wider than normal, as if she was   
trying too hard to convince herself that she was happy. "Don't worry,   
Sakura. He's only mostly dead." She giggled. "I keep trying to keep  
him away, but he won't, so I've got to kill him, see?"  
  
Sakura went for her cards.  
  
Tomoyo saw her move, and pulled out a card of her own. "AGAIN!"  
  
There was a horrible flash of light.  
  
  



	2. Apart?

[I don't own these characters. CLAMP does.]  
  
A Day In the Cards Part 2, By John Fiala   
[Version 1.1, with a bit more explanation of what was going on.]  
  
  
Sakura woke up on a beautiful Saturday morning. Birds were   
singing outside, the sun was shining, and Kero-chan was playing Final   
Fantasy Something with the headphones on. Blinking blearily, she looked   
around to see what had dragged her out of slumber and saw that Tomoyo   
was missing.   
  
After a few minutes her friend returned. "Good morning, Sakura-  
chan!" Tomoyo said, and gave her a kiss before starting to get dressed.   
"I'm sorry if I woke you."  
  
Sakura yawned, and decided to get up. It's not like she could get   
upset at Tomoyo when she was smiling. "Oh, it's okay. I've got some   
chores I need to get started on, anyway. Want to get together for   
lunch?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded, and gave Kero-chan a pat on the head, which he   
ducked, complaining that she'd mess up his score. "Sure. By then I   
should be done with Mother's design group." One more kiss, and she   
slipped out the door. They knew Touya or Yukito wouldn't say anything   
about Tomoyo staying so much, but they were still unsure about Sakura's   
father. So it was best to be discreet.  
  
--  
  
The morning went by slowly, at first. However, halfway through   
moving the cleaned whites into the dryer, she suddenly felt a sense of   
forboding wash over over, and a glimpse of Tomoyo in her inner eye.   
Startled, she ran for the phone and dialed the Daidoji group.  
  
"Hello, can I help you?"   
  
Sakura recognized the voice as Daidoji-san's secretary. "Ainoto-  
san, this is Kinomoto Sakura. Can I talk to Tomoyo-chan, please? It's   
very important."  
  
"I'm sorry, Kinomoto-san, but Tomoyo-san isn't here. Last night   
she said she had an errand to run and couldn't make it."  
  
"Oh," she said, "thank you." She hung up.  
  
That was odd. Tomoyo had definately said today that she'd be at   
the design group. However, Ainoto-san said that Tomoyo had cancelled   
yesterday. Why would Tomoyo lie to her? Something was wrong. She   
could feel it, the wrongness oozing through her soul. She sat   
down and concentrated.  
  
Suddenly, Tomoyo's voice came to her. "The Tokyo Hilton South.   
Good enough." She wasn't sure when she'd heard it, but it felt like a   
good place to start. She dropped the phone, strapped on her skating   
equipment with the speed of experience, and was out the door, clearing   
the steps in one leap.  
  
--  
  
She was almost to the hotel when a psychic pull grabbed her from   
an alleyway. Skidding, she turned and entered the alley. Stepping   
carefully, she crept up and peered around the corner.  
  
It was Tomoyo, holding a gun to a chinese boy that Sakura had   
never met before. The whole tableau was strange, from Tomoyo (the   
gentlest creature on earth) holding a gun to the boy, who Sakura could   
swear reminded her of... someone. Who? Why?  
  
"You wouldn't leave it alone." Tomoyo's voice was flat, as if she   
was talking about the weather. Sakura found that even worse. "You were   
fine, you were safe. You didn't even lose status this time around. But   
you had to come and cause problems. Every time, you keep coming back.   
I won't be alone any more!"  
  
Sakura frowned. Cause problems? And why was the boy's face so   
facinating?  
  
"You've got one of them," the boy said. "You've been using one of   
the cards, haven't you?"  
  
Tomoyo grinned. "There's so many cards. Why not one or two for   
me? Why not Sakura, for me?"  
  
"It's not right, Tomoyo. You can't shape the world around what   
you want." He took a step forward.  
  
"Bullshit! Why isn't it right? That's what magic is, the will   
and power to change the world to suit you. I'm just using more   
imagination than you two used. And I won't have to use it again,   
because after this there's no more take-backs."  
  
Shocked, Sakura felt at her friend with her senses. And skidded   
off. It was like Tomoyo wasn't even there. She bit her tongue,   
thinking quickly. Tomoyo had said 'or two'... was she using a card to   
shield another card from her?  
  
"I'll go back to Hong Kong, then. I'll let you be happy with your   
doll. But one day your doll's going to wake up and realize that you're   
playing with her life."  
  
"Big talk from a guy who couldn't even beat a girl! I was always   
the good friend, I helped you both out, and how did you repay me? By   
taking my love for Sakura and tossing it out the door. At first, I   
thought I'd kill myself - that would show you. But then, I realized a   
better way. But you kept having to push me, didn't you?" Tomoyo's voice  
was trembling, but her hand was very still.  
  
The shield card. Sakura was sure of it. She pulled out her   
cards, and shuffled through them for the Sword card. Pulling it out,   
she noticed the boy's eyes flick towards her hiding place, and then back   
to Tomoyo, as a smile threatened at his mouth. He knew she was there.   
His name - was Li Shaoran. Memories flooded her mind, and she tried not   
to be distracted as she held onto the Sword card and tried to use just a   
smidgeon of it's power to slip through Tomoyo's Shield.  
  
"Just let me go, Tomoyo. You don't want to kill me."  
  
Tomoyo laughed. "I've killed you a few times already. What's one   
more?"  
  
Sakura had to bite her lip not to cry out as she slipped through   
the shields. It was definately the Time card. She saw Shaoran nod at   
her.  
  
No time like the present. She stepped forward. "Tomoyo, don't!"  
  
Tomoyo wheeled to face her, and as soon as Shaoran was out of her   
field of vision he moved, his leg swinging around to send the gun down   
the alley.  
  
"Shit!" Tomoyo backpedaled, trying to keep them both in her   
sight. "It's not fair!"  
  
Shaoran tried to hit Tomoyo, but his fist suddenly stopped in mid   
air. As she ran forward, Sakura realized that Tomoyo was using the   
Shield at full strength now. She pulled out the Sleep, and activated it   
as well.  
  
The Sword flashed through the air as it cut through the Shield,   
and then before Tomoyo could activate the Time, the Sleep was upon her,   
sprinkling its dust. Tomoyo fell to the floor, asleep. And after that,   
it was simply a case of claiming the cards again.  
  
--  
  
"Thank you, Sakura."  
  
Sakura put on a straight face. "Who are you, anyway?" After   
Shaoran's reaction, she giggled, and gave him a hug. "Thank you for   
coming for me."  
  
"Anytime." The stood there, in the alley, hugging. After a few   
minutes, Shaoran sighed. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"I don't know. I'd put things the way they were, but even though   
she had gone nuts, I still do love Tomoyo." She picked up The Time.   
"It's not fair. I don't know what to do. But we do need to set things   
back to what they should be." She sighed. "I guess me, or the me in the  
original timeline, didn't know Tomoyo was in love with me. Or her. And  
so she used this," she waved The Time, "to get rid of you and have me to  
herself."  
  
"Do we need to move her?"  
  
Sakura shook her head, "When I roll things back to before the   
change, she shouldn't remember anything, and she won't be here. It's a shame,   
she's been going back and changing little things, trying to arrange the world   
to her liking. But every time, you came for me."  
  
Shaoran blushed, but then leaned over and kissed her. "For luck."  
  
She grinned. And then held out The Time, and activated it. "TIME   
CARD! Return things to the way they were!"   
  
At the last moment, she had an idea, and made the Time card make   
one small change. One last take-back.  
  
There was a beautiful flash of light.  
  
--  
  
Sakura and Shaoran walked up to the front door to her house, hand   
in hand. "I had a good time, Shaoran," she said, smiling at him.  
  
He nodded, not trusting his voice. Something inside had been   
drawing him to her all his life, he thought. To be with her, finally...   
  
And then stopped, as Sakura kissed him on the mouth, a gentle   
blush on her cheeks. "See you at school," she said, disappearing   
through the door.  
  
"Yeah." He stood on her porch for a moment, hoping she'd come out   
again, and then ran home, a smile on her face.  
  
--  
  
Stepping inside the dark living room, Sakura heard Tomoyo giggle   
in the darkness. It was a gentle giggle of happiness, and for a moment   
she wondered why that was so important. "Are you two making out in here   
again?"  
  
"YESSSS!" chorused Tomoyo and Sakura's twin sister Nadeshiko from   
the couch, their voices dissolving into giggles.  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Get a room!" And   
she left Tomoyo, happy on the couch, and Shaoran, happy at his   
apartment, and went to a well-deserved rest.  
  
  
[Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed my story!] 


End file.
